A/N: Hi guys!

I know I said that I might not get to update sooner in the last chapter, but look! I can!

So I did!

Yay!

I might not be able to after this though. Maybe.

We'll see.

In case you've forgotten though, Sophie is missing.

Alright, let's go!

Also, this chapter is going to split between perspectives. Keefe's and then third person's, when we're going to see a few somethings... ;D

I was standing in a room full of darkness.

I knew, somehow, that one step in the wrong direction would send me hurtling into the void of darkness, and I could never pull myself up from out of it.

I could hear voices calling to me, telling me which way I should go.

Follow me Keefe. I'll fulfill your legacy.

I hate you Keefe!

I'll never love you.

I trust you Keefe, but what are you doing?

Keefe, you're the only one I trust.

Keefe, you are going to do this for me, or Sophie's going to get hurt, and it'll be all your fault.

Huh. That one is new.

KEEFE. WAKE UP.

That's silly. I am awake.

And that's no way to make me follow what you want me to do.

Tell me something I want to hear.

SOPHIE'S GONE.

Or something I don't want to hear.

Alright, I'll follow you.

I stepped towards the voice, trusting the fear in it, and felt solid ground.

It was shaky, but solid.

And something flashed white, smacking my head over to the side, and I opened my eyes.

"Tam?"

"What's happening?"

"Sophie's gone!"

"WHAT?!"

I jerked my head up, but smacked my forehead with his, his tense form jerking back.

"Ow! That hurt Keefe!"

I winced myself, trying to shake away the pain.

"What do you mean she's gone?"

"I woke up, and she wasn't next to me anymore."

"Next to you?"

Tam flushed, his cheeks turning pink, and it made my stomach turn cartwheels.

Wow that was cute.

"You know, between us."

I smirked, and watched as his cheeks colored even more, and he turned his face away a little, tugging his bangs over his eyes.

"You know what I mean. Stop making it sound wrong."

"I'm not the one saying it in the first place."

A low growl left Tam's throat, and he turned flashing eyes at me, but I was trying to keep my thoughts somewhat pure.

Breathing in and out heavily, Tam clenched his teeth, and I really had a hard time keeping my thoughts pure.

"Sophie?"

I managed to keep my voice somewhat light, and the emotions I was feeling out of it.

"She's gone. I don't know where she went."

His voice dropped, and Tam grudgingly moved closer to me so that he could whisper in my ear.

"We have a plan, but it needs all of us to be at our top game. You CAN regulate other people's emotions, right?"

"Yes, but..."

"But what."

"It requires a certain amount of trust, and..."

"Oh."

Tam sat back, pulling his cloak tightly around his shoulders.

"Then will you let me take a reading of you?"

"Right now?"

"Do we have anything better to do?"

Keefe hesitated, but slowly nodded, rationalizing that Tam shouldn't be able to feel his emotions.

A little shocked, Tam blinked, and cautiously held his hand out to the other boy's forehead.

He pressed a few fingers against the sides of Keefe's head, and jerked them away.

"What?"

"It felt tainted somehow. You had a lot of shadowvapor, but some of it felt different from the others. Heavier almost. And it didn't have the same feeling as the others. Can I try again?"

"To do what?"

"To see if the strange shadowvapor is really yours."

"And what if it isn't?"

"Know and trust any Shades or Beguilers?"

"I know three Shades, but only trust one. And I'm looking at them. As for Beguilers, only one, but I don't trust them."

"Would you let this Beguiler near you willingly?"

"No."

"Then it means that either a Shade tampered or moved some shadowvapor around, or you were Beguiled at some point in time."

"Have you been?"

"Beguiled ever? No. Not that I know of."

Tam cocked his head, reaching for Keefe's forehead, giving Keefe a look.

"What?"

"Can I try again?"

"Oh, yeah."

Just like before, Tam put his fingers on Keefe's temples, and just like before yanked them away.

"Are you sure you've never been Beguiled before?"

"No!"

"Just checking. You have been Keefe, so think. Who and why?"

Keefe's head spun with this new information, and he blinked rapidly.

"Councillor-"

Tam clamped a hand over Keefe's mouth, eyes flashing.

"Shush. But yeah. Why though?"

The answer came to both of the boys at the same time, and their eyes opened wide.

"But it's impossible."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Biana, your friends are here."

My mom called to me, and I slowly trudged down from my room, avoiding where my mom's visitor sat.

Stopping just before the door, I take a big breath, and try to plaster on a smile.

Opening the door, I find Dex and Linh standing there, nervously.

"Hi."

"Biana, if this is a bad time, we can go, but I was wondering if you would like to help us with something."

I hesitated.

I wasn't really up for the idea, but it would probably be better than sitting around, right?

"We might be able to find Sophie and the others."

I looked into Linh's eyes, and they absolutely shone, hope flashing in them, and I couldn't bring myself to dampen that at all, so I agreed.

"Okay. I'll do it. But what?"

"Help us find Sophie, Tam, and Keefe."

I mulled over what they had said.

"Okay. I'll help, but only to get Edaline out of here. And find out what happened to Fitz."

"Are they okay?"

"Who?"

"Your parents."

"Dad's trying to find the Neverseen and Grady right now, and is away with the Council. Mom has a...guest over."

Linh slowly nodded, and pulled out a crystal, dangling it from her fingers.

"Here, you can do it."

I reached out, and we glittered away, my hopes slowly rising as we went. 

A/N: That was...okay. Not my best, but it's an update nonetheless! I'm not sure I'll be able to update this particular story soon though. So see you next month probably!